Sunday, 27 February 2011

Spent Friday with Dawn scrapping and was surprised that I actually managed to do a real paper layout. Inking and cutting is a challenge and I so feel I should write a disclaimer on the back to remind me in future years why these Lo's are a bit below par LOL...

This is a class kit fro papermaze crop using Bo Bunny papers and was designed by Lou Collins. Photo's are of Vikki and Ben last December when we had all the snow.

Jim who will be 11 Tuesday has had a couple of off days, not wanting to go out for walks, so have gone into worry wort mode with him and Ruby has just come in from her walk minus another two nails and bleeding everywhere, think she may have to go back to the vets. I've never seen this nail condition before and they are so fragile.

Hand is much more comfortable in new cast and off to see Rheumatoligst Monday to see what he can offer to replace the anti inflammatories that have caused my ulcer.

Thursday, 24 February 2011

Today I went to the hospital and had that wretched cast removed, oh the sheer relief, new cast is much more comfortable. We also got to see the x rays of the 2 rods/pins that go from the top of the two knuckles through bone and are about 8/9 inches long, could also see quite clearly the bone graft. Anyway don't have to go back to that department again until 25th March yay !!!!!!!

Had a little play with a digi layout using a Dawn Inksip Template (mine was very loosely based on it way to advanced for me) and a kit she made available to UKS free last month. After I printed it out I added some gems and pearls so I guess it's really another hybrid layout LOL...would like to say digi is quicker but I am equally as slow at digi as I am at paper scrapping LOL.

Ruby had a bit of a disaster and broke a nail which required a trip to the vets, we thought her nails were odd and turns out she has some condition which makes them very weak, other than that she continues to be the perfect house guest.

Plans are a foot to celebrate Jim's 11th birthday next week, which basically means I have to make him a liver birthday cake yuck yuck yuck!

Going to have a normal Friday tomorrow with Dawn coming to scrap and chat woohoo !!!

Sunday, 20 February 2011

Had a wonderful day at papermaze crop and so enjoyed catching up with my crafting friends and having a normal day LOL.

Hand, hip and tummy are all feeling much more comfortable today and one has stopped feeling soory for one's self LOL.

I do have to say a massive thank you to my bestest friend Dawn who takes such good care of me when we're out and is the only person in the world Eric trusts to look after me and to Carol who made me the most gorgeous card (actually I've had loads from all the girls several times over, maybe I should give them back and they can resend them each time I get myself into a pickle LOL).

Finally finished this LO which has been ongoing since first op in Oct LOL, couldn't manage to ink the flowers but still quite happy with it. The photo was taken in 2007 and is of me, Eric, Vik, Marc (son) and Ben. It's a papermaze kit using papers from Fancy Pants.

Then shock horror I finished off another layout, my first hybrid page, kit was designed by Janina for Bramford crop and had the most beautiful script and bird stamps, well stamping isn't possible at the moment and although people offered to do it for me I decided to have a go at creating it digitally. Then I added the photo and flowers and I am really chuffed with it. It does look so much more beautiful IRL. Photo is of me Eric and Ben all dressed up at Marc and Rachael's wedding last year. Photo's are rubbish but there is no light here today and dark and gloomy.

Finally some good news re Lucky her urine levels had dropped significantly when she went to the vets Friday! maybe we are finally on the right track and it is a thyroid problem.

Ruby continues to be the perfect house guest and Lucky is really enjoying her company, she has been quite lonely since little Rulu passed away as Rulu was her special friend.

So a few photo's of Ruby and co chilling out.....with Jim, then Jim Gangley and Alfie and lastly Ruby all stretched out.

Friday, 18 February 2011

Guess I had better update on my exciting week!!!!!! all boring and no crafting but I know some of you like to keep up to date with my goings on LOL...

Ruby has settled so well and feels like she has been here for ages, she really is a poppet.

So.............

Wednesday camera thingy! no sedation as it meant having it through a cannula and I just couldn't bear the thought of yet another botched attempt. It was horrible but not as bad as I remembered and the upshot is I have large ulcer, treating with extra lansporazle and another medicine called sucralfate to try and reduce it, also they want me to stop some RA drugs, I did explain this was unlikely due to current RA situation etc but shall book a drug review with consultant. If meds don't work it may need surgery. I did get a little scared when they asked how far away we lived from hospital and when we explained it's usually a 45 min trip they said if I got acute pain or vomited blood to dial 999.

Thursday saw the gastrologist and he basically re iterated what we were told Wednessday and said they would repeat camera in 4 weeks.

Friday, took dressings off hand and it looks quite good, then put a cast on, back next Thursday to have cast removed to check stitches etc and then another one on for 6 weeks. Cast is very uncomfortable and feels too tight across knuckles especially when the pins have been inserted which go down arm 6-7 inches with a plate as well. It has actually made me cry for the first time! maybe it just feels so tight as before I had a slapback underneath with just bandages on top so maybe I will get used to it but they did say to go back if any problems. I chose a purple cast to match bruises LOL.

So hospital appts continue to mount had really hoped for a week off next week.

Feeling a tad sorry for myself tonight but going to crop tomorrow so something to look forward to.

Tuesday, 15 February 2011

So Ruby the foster greyhound arrived Sunday evening and was very stressed and unsettled after being taken from her family (wife has walked out, leaving husband to cope with kids and dogs whilst trying to work, so he sadly had to return Ruby back to gap after 3 years) and travelling for 6 hours in 4 different cars down to us. We introduced her to each of our dogs one at a time and no one so much as growled at her.

The first night she was a little restless but since then has settled down so well, she is now very relaxed and I have to say the perfect house guest. Ruby is very affectionate and gentle and loves having her tummy tickled Someone is going to get themselves a beautiful hound. I can't think she'll be here long as there have already been some enquiries about her. Tried to get a good photo but as usual failed LOl.

Ruby is the one next to the tele...

Have also done another digi LO of Ben on his 5th birthday in December using Dawn Inksips kit making tracks.

Swelling of fingers has reduced alot but the pain continues to be awful, hip is much better just a tad tender now.

3 hospital appts this week, deep joy, so not looking forward to the camera down my tummy tomorrow, shall be mighty relieved when this week is over BUT I have papermaze crop on Saturday to look forward to.

Saturday, 12 February 2011

So here I am back in the land of the living lol……hoping the op went to plan but shan’t see the surgeon until Friday so will get all the details then. Also on Friday the hand will go into a full plaster cast for 6 – 8 weeks, at the moment it’s half plastered and half bandaged to allow for the swelling and bruising. Fingers are very swollen and black and it does hurt rather a lot. Hip where they took some bone out to graft into wrist is sore but ok and for the first time ever haven’t been sick from the GA, so that was a bonus…..

Busy week ahead as I have the camera down tummy Wednesday, follow up appt for that Thursday and hand appt Friday. Such a busy social life NOT !!!!

Oh and an emergency gap foster dog arriving tomorrow, not the best timing but what can you do…..

Anyway another digi LO, have been playing with this one for weeks as I was trying to reproduce a paper Lo from papermaze here , it's going to be the first page of a mini book I'm making about the building of the conservatory. Still not sure it's quite as I want LOL...

Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Dawn came for lunch and keep me company which was lovely and then I decided to have one last play for a few days and made this quick digi page. Such a gorgeous photo of Harvey, kit is by Dawn Inksip and is called Tinker.

I shall be back in a few days and hopefully the worst will be behind me.

Monday, 7 February 2011

So finally we found out the fluid has no infection and the hand surgeon was amazed to see the wrist looking so good after last week's episode LOL

So as it stands, I'm going into hospital for 7.30am Thursday to have the wrist fussed, slightly bigger op than planned as surgeon has now decided to take bone from hip and put in wrist along with the pins and plates.

I had been down for a regional anaesthetic which I hate as it means you're wide awake in theatre but now he needs to take some bone I'll be having a full general anaesthetic. I've been told to take overnight bag as I may not get out the same day as planned but that's a small price to pay if we can finally get this dam wrist fussed.

Sunday, 6 February 2011

Okay so it's been a while since I actually did a paper layout LOl, this one was designed by Janina for the Bramford crop she runs once a month and uses pp's from Cosmo Cricket "making plans"

As Dawn came over Friday to scrap and cut out and did the prep for it (took me ages because of hand) and then Saturday at crop I put it together. Photo is Ben in America with two of his cousins Gracie and Emily.

I have been busy on the digi front and made loads of cards, actually all my cards right up to April are done LOL. This one was made using Dawn Inksips digi kit Making tracks and is for Dawn's (different Dawn) grandson who will be two in April.

Lucky has had yet more tests and finally cushings has been ruled out, the other tests were of course inconclusive but her vet and we agree thinks she has an under active thyroid, so we've started her on the drugs. They will take several weeks to have any effect if indeed any but if we are on the wrong track they won't do her any harm. Poor old ducks has looked so old and tired lately, we just want to see her back to her normal happy bouncy self.

As to my wrist.................... and knee..............

Knee is much better, had a steroid in it two weeks ago and yay I can walk again, not perfect but hey walking is good....

Monday evening my wrist started to swell and then became very red and burning up (and up till that point I had had no problems at all), Tuesday morning a bubble of something nasty appeared over a section of the scar, so when we got to the hospital (appt to assess if I was well enough for surgery on 10th) I was sent straight off for emergency bloods. Anyway they also managed to drain loads of fluid out which has gone off for testing, bloods show very high white blood count and the arthritis count is through the roof again. Operation to fuse on the 10th now looks iffy as they have to find out what's going on with the fluid, the surgeon has kept my slot open as he may have to operate again on the bit done on October and December. Wrist needs fussing urgently to stop this fluid keep coming back but can't be done whilst it is as it is if that makes sense, so now we're in a vicious circle.

I'm the surgeon tomorrow lunchtime to see what's happened with the fluid that has gone off to the lab, so fingers crossed all is well and I get the op Thursday.....would be nice if just for once a little good luck came this way LOL....